Seaming head for can-closing machines



Nov, l, 1927, I l 1,647,687 l J. coYLE` SEAMING HEAD FOR'CAN CLOSINGMACHINES Filed Ma 15, V19,27

,Z l 15p/@fig al@ Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOHN COYLE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO`yCONTINENT'AL GAN COM- PATENT OFFICE. i

PANY, ING.,l OF NEW YORK, N; Y., AI CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

SEAMING HEAD FOR CAN-CLOSING-MACHINES.

Application led March 15, 1927. lSerialrNo. 175,503.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in seaming headsfor can closing machines, and more particularly to a seaming headprovided with a chuck and a body portion rotatable relative to eachother,

seaming` head of the above type wherein the second ope-ration seamingroll is forced into contact with the metal for rolling the same into adouble seam, by a cam follower which bears against a yieldable abutment,wherein means is provided for positively limiting the movement of theabut-ment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a deviceV of theabovetype wherein the cam follower abutment and limiting means thereforcan be bodily adjusted for varying the tightness of the seam.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a seaming head of the`abovetype wherein the seaming` roll is carried byaseaming 25.5*lever andthe seaming lever is act-u atedby a cam follower resting against anabutment which in turn bears against a spring, and wherein means isprovided forlimiting the movement of the abutment through the ac- 3ftionof the spring.

A sti-ll further object of the invention is to provide a device of theabove t-ype wherein the cani follower, the abutment and spring may bebodily shifted on the seaming `lever for varying the tightness of theseam.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part behereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of ilflustration one embodiment of theinvention- Figure 1 is a sectional view through a seaming head embodyingthe improvements, the `section being taken from the second seamingoperation rolls;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one end of one of the seaminglevers, and

Fig. 3 is a face view of the upper end of t-lie seaming lever.

Theinvention is directed to a seaming head having a body portion inwhichl is mounted a chuck spindle carrying a chuck. Either the chuck isrotated' to rotate a can which is to be closed, or the chuckisstationary, in which case, the body portion of the head is rotated whichcauses the seaming rolls carried by the heads to travel about the can.Mounted on this head are seaming levers. The Vseaming levers arepreferably arranged in pairs, one pair of levers carrying the firstoperation seaming rolls and the other pair of levers carrying the secondoperation seaining rolls. Each seaming lever is provided with a camfollower. Mounted on the spindle and movable endwise thereon, are cams,one of which cooperates with the lirst operation seaming rolls and theother with the second operation seaming rolls. parts as described aresimilar in construction to those shown in the patent granted I. F.Warme, June 24, 1919, No. 1,307,888, and further detail descriptionthereof lis not thought necessary.

The present invention has to do with the y means for operating thesecond operation rolls. Before describing the invention in detail, briefreference will be made to the parts shown in the drawing which are ofwell known construction. The seaming head includes a body portion 1 inwhich is mounted a spindle 2 carrying a chuck 3. Either the chuck or thehead rotate, but not both. Mounted on thehead l is a pair of secondoperation seaming levers ll, 4. These levers are pivoted at 5 to thebody portion of the head. Each lever is provided with a seaming roll 6having a seaming groove 7, and alsohaving an annular channel 8 whichreceives an annular projecting rib 9 on the chuck. This inter-engagementof the seaming'rolls and chuck is of the well known construction. At theupper end of the seamy ing lever there is an opening 10 which extendsall the way through the lever. Located in this opening 10 is a camfollower 11. The cam follower 11 has a tapered shoulder 12 which isadapted to cooperate with a cam 13 movable vertically on the spindle 2.A pin 14C carried by the seaming lever projects into a groove 15 in thecam follower 11 and prevents the same vfrom rotating in the opening 10.

This opening 10 is threaded, and is adapted to receive a sleeve 16having the outer end closed as at 17. There is an opening 18 through`this closedend. The follower 11 is provided with al chamber 19. Locatedin this chamber 19 is an abutment 20 carried by a stein 21 which passesthrough the opening 18. Y Located in the sleeve 16 and ex- The tendinginto the chamber 19 is a spring 22. This spring is preferably made on alathe by cutting a cylinder so as to form the spring. The spring is verystiff and is practically free from tension during the second operationon the double seam until the side seam is reached, at which time. thisspring 22 yields to allow the seaming roll to pass over the side seam. Anut'23 is threaded on to the stem 21 and holds the abutment snug upagainst the spring 22. A lock nut 24 will hold the parts in thisposition. This spring 22 may be put under slight tension, if desired,but it is not intended that the spring should function to any extent,except when passing the side seam. The sleeve 16 can be adjusted in thelever and held in adjusted position by a locking collar 25 which may beheld from turning by a locking wire 26 of the usual construction.

v In the operation of my improved head, the cam follower is adjusted sothat when the cam 13 swings the lever into contact with the metal parts,the second operation will be performed inthe double seam'. At all pointsin the double seam, except when crossing the side seam, the sleeve 16 isadjusted so that the follower 11 will not be moved relative to the leverto any extent. llfhen, however', the side seam is reached, then thefollower is yieldable and will move so as to permit the seaming roll topass the side seam. Vfhen it is desired to increase the tightness of theseam, the sleeve 1G is adjusted so as to move the follower 11 to theleft, as viewed in Fig. 2; and on the other hand, when the seam is tootight, then the followerI can be adjusted in the opposite direction.During this adjustment of the follower, the abutment and the spring arelikewise shifted in the follower, and this is accomplished without inany way changing the tension on the spring'. lt will be seen, therefore,that l have provided a cam follower for operating the seaming roll,which has associated with it, a yieldable abutnient, and means isprovided whereby the follower and yieldable abutment can be adjustedbodily without varying the tension of the spring in back of thefollower, or in any way disturbing the set position of the parts. lWhenthe spring is properly placed so as to provide, in substance, a solidabutment during the seaming operation at all points, except whencrossing the side seam, and to provide a yielding abutment when crossingthe side seam, the tightness of the seam may be varied by shifting' thesleeve without disturbing these set conditions.

A spring 26 is placed between the body portion of the seaming head andthe lower end of the seaming lever 4. This is a light spring and is forthe purpose of normally holding the seaming rolls in their extreme outerposition when the cam 13 is raised. It will be noted thatthe spring 22does not swing the lever 4 so as to bring the seaming roll into contactwith the metal parts. The spring operates against the abutment 20, andthis limits the action of the spring. Therefore, the spring 26 does notwlork against the heavy spring 22; neither does the centrifugal forcewhich moves the rolls outwardly when the head is rotating, operateagainst this spring 22.

By the construction above described, I am able to use a very heavyspring for supporting the abutment. It is well known that during theforming of the double seam, the metal rolling into the seam flows aheadof the seaming roll. As a result, when the side seam is reached, thismetal flowing ahead of the rolls will pass up on to the side seam, andoften builds up at the side seam so as to increase the thickness of themetal for the roll to pass over, and the result is that the seaming rolldoes not bring the metal into tight'scam just beyond the side seam, andv openings in the seam` are produced, which are likely to leak. By myimproved construction, however, where the spring is, in effect, a solidabutment during the formation of the double seam at all points thereofuntil the side seam is reached, and where the seaming lever is capableof yielding under a very heavy spring tension to pass the side seam, themetal is forced into a tight seam, not only across the side seam, but atboth sides of the side seam.

`While I have described the invention asl particularly applicable to themeans for operating the second operation seaming lever, it will beunderstood, of course, that it may be used in connection with the firstseaming lever operation. rlhe cam follower resting against the abutment,is held in substantially fixed position during the rolling of the metalinto the seam, except when the side seam passes beneath the seamingroll. inasmuch as the abutment is limited in its movement, and thespring is a very heavy spring, the device forming the present inventionmay be used with great advantage with either seaming lever.

lt is obvious that minor changes in the details of construct-ion and thearrangement of the parts may be made without departing' from the spiritof the invention .as Set forth in the appended claims.

Having' thus described the invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Let'- ters-Patent, is

1. A seaming head for closing machines including la chuck," a bodyportion, said chuck and body portion having a relative rotation, aseaming lever carried by the body portion, av seaming roll mounted onsaid seaming lever, a cam mounted on the seaming head and movablerelative thereto for operating theseaming lever, a cam follower carriedby said seaming lever, a yieldable abutment carried by the lever andengaging said cam follower, and means for positivelyv limiting theoutward movement of said yieldable abut-ment.

2. A seaming head for closing machines including a chuck, a bodyportion, said chuck and body portion having a relative rotation, aseaming lever carried by the body portion, a seaming roll mounted onsaid seaming lever, a cam mounted on the seaming head and movablerelative thereto for operating the seaming lever, a cam follower carriedby said seaming lever, a yieldable abutment carried by said lever andengaging said cam follower, means for positively limiting the outwardmovement of said yieldable abutment, and means for adjusting said camfollower and abutment on said lever for varying the tightness of theseam.

3. A seaming head for closing machines including a chuck, a bodyportion, said chuck and body portion having a relative rotation, aseaming lever carried by the body portion, a seaming roll mounted onsaid seaming lever, a cam mounted on the seaming head and movablerelative thereto for operating the seaming lever, a cam follower carriedby said seaming lever, an abutment against which said follower bears, aspring carried by the lever and bearing against said abutment, a supportcarried by said lever against which said spring bears, and means passingthrough said support and connected to the abutment for limiting theoutward movement thereof.

4l. A seaming head for closing machines including a chuck, a bodyportion, said ment thereof, and means for shifting the position of saidsupport in said lever.

5. A seaming head for closing machines including a chuck, a bodyportion, said chuck and body portion having a relative rotation, aseaming lever carried by the body portion, a seaming roll mounted onsaid seaming lever, a cam mounted on the seaming head and movablerelative thereto for operating the seaming lever, a cam follower carriedby said seaming lever, said follower having a chamber at the inner sidethereof, an abutment located in said chamber against which the followerrests, a sleeve having an adjustable connection with the seaming leverand adapted to receive and guide a portion of the follower, and a springintermediate the abutment and the inner end of the sleeve, said abutmenthaving a stem passing through kthe end of the sleeve, and a nut on theend of said stem for limiting the movement of the abutment through theaction of said spring.

In testimony whereof, I afIiX my signature.

JOHN COYLE.

